QueryTrackerBlog

Wednesday, January 9, 2013

Fifty Shades of Editing

Regardless of whether you’re pursuing traditional or self publishing,
your book needs to be well edited. If it isn’t, agents and editors will reject
it. If you self publish and the story and writing is weak, your writing career
is pretty much doomed, unless you use a pen name for your next book. With so
many options out there for readers, it’s tough to get a second chance if you
blow the first one.

The point of this post is not to provide you with advice on how to edit
your book after the first draft. Like everything else in this industry, it’s
subjective. What works for one person might not work for someone else. A writer
who plots and figures out characterizations first will approach his second
draft differently than a writer who jumped straight into writing the first
draft without much planning. Instead, I’m focusing on the edits you need to
consider from an outside perspective. In all cases, you want to make sure you
give the individual the best version of the story to date. That means, no
sending them your first draft. You just waste everyone’s time when you do that.

THE FREEBIES

This group of individuals is invaluable. They are your first line of
editing and they are free. Well, almost free. When someone offers to give you
feedback on your project, remember it’s not a one-way street. There is nothing
worse than giving feedback on someone’s 130,000-word manuscript and they do not
reciprocate. This group includes critique partners and beta readers. What it
doesn’t include is your mom, unless your mom can be critical and give valuable
feedback. A lot can’t. On the other hand, if your mom is overcritical about
everything in your life, you might want to skip on her feedback. Same deal with
your mother-in-law.

Critique Partners and Critique Groups

With these individuals, you usually send your novel to them in chunks.
Some groups will meet once a month and exchange chapters. They focus on the
here and now, and chances are they won’t remember what they read last time.
Because of this, they tend not to see the big picture. They point out places
where you could rewrite a sentence so that it’s no longer confusing, and point
out things that don’t make sense story wise. These individuals tend to be
writers.

Beta Readers

Unlike the critique partner, beta readers look at the big picture. They
will point out problems with your plot and when your characterizations could be
stronger (critique partners can do this, too). Some give line edits, but it’s
not part of the job description. Beta readers can be writers or avid readers.

PROFESSIONAL EDITORS

Professional editors tend to have a higher skill set compared to our
beta readers and critique partners. But remember, not all are created equal.
This depends on numerous factors, including their editing education and
experience. An editor who works for Simon & Schuster, for example, will
have a greater skill level compared to an author of several short stories who
decided to make some extra cash on the side.

Agents and Editors (with a publisher)

These are individuals are “free,” but they need to love your project and
see a market for it before they will offer you a contract. Your book might be
great, but if there’s no market for it (in their eyes), agents and editors will
pass on your project. Are they right? Not necessarily. But if you’re planning
to go the traditional route, you need to impress them first.

Freelance Editors

These individuals are the ones you hire if you plan to self publish a
quality book. This is a step you don’t want to skip. Even if you’re planning to
pursue traditional publishing, it doesn’t hurt to have professional editing
done before you query. In today’s competitive slush piles, this step might give
you the extra edge you need to land a contract. I know one author who does
this. The result is she has less editing to do with her publisher, which saves
everyone time.

LEVELS OF EDITING

No matter which route you go, there are three levels of editing you need
to consider. With traditional publishing, all three are typically done.

Developmental/Structural Edits

These edits involve the big ticket items, such as plot,
characterization, overall pacing, setting, story structure, etc. When you hear
an author mention how they received fifteen pages from their editor, this is
what they are referring to.

Line Edits

After the big ticket items come line edits. This is where the editor
will make comments in your manuscript at the sentence level. She will point out
sentences that don’t flow well and make suggestions. Remember, they are just
that: suggestions. Be careful you don’t end up messing with your voice (unless
you want to).

Copy Edits

This level of editing is no less important that the others. A copy
editor will point out typos, missing words, and inconsistencies. A good one
will notice that your main character has blue eyes on page 30 and brown eyes on
page 99. That is their job. I recommend you don’t skip on this one. A book
filled with typos screams unprofessional. It also screams, “Don’t read my next
book!”

The most important thing to remember is that the people giving you
feedback need to share your vision for your
book. If they don’t, you will end up ripping your hair out in frustration. When
looking for the right individuals, see if you can get feedback on a few pages
first. That way you can see if you are a good mix.

Have you used a professional editor? How many critique partners and beta
readers do you tend to use for each project?

5 comments:

Terrific article. SO TRUE! As a freelance editor it kills me to see some of the work that people have self published without having hired an editor first. What bothers me the most is imagining how good that story COULD have been.

Thanks for the insight into the editing process!! I (dare I say it?) look forward to the day when I go through them because it'll mean I'm that much closer to being published!! Although, don't quote me on that when the day comes!! Lol.